Embodiments of the system relate generally to a field of voltage regulation and more specifically to an on-load tap changer for power delivery.
Conventionally, electricity is generated in large-scale power plants that are connected to a transmission grid through step up transformers. Electrical power is transmitted over a transmission system over long distances at very high voltages. At distribution substations the voltage is stepped down and power is supplied to different loads within a distribution grid. Voltage regulation in the distribution grid is typically achieved either through On-Load Tap Changing (OLTC) transformers or voltage regulators. Capacitor banks are also widely used in many utilities to support the voltage in distribution grids, where voltage variations are mainly caused by slow variation of loads connected to the distribution system. The increasing share of intermittent and highly variable renewable energy generation connected at distribution level leads to larger and more frequent voltage fluctuations in distribution grids, which requires more flexibility in network voltage regulation. As a consequence, on-load tap changers in distribution grids with large amount of renewable energy generation are being utilized more intensively and extensively.
On-load tap changers have been widely used for power transformers and voltage regulators for many years. Several types of on-load tap changers, both mechanical and electronic, are available in the market. Mechanical on-load tap changers allow for in-service operation, but have demanding mechanical requirements. Each tap changing operation of mechanical tap changers leads to a certain amount of arcing between tap contacts and moving finger contacts. Arcing leads to slow deterioration of the transformer oil and the wear of the mechanical contacts. The lifetime of a mechanical tap changer is hence limited by the number of tap changing operations. Conventional on-load tap changers have nevertheless relatively long lifetime of 15-20 years. This is mainly due to the relatively low number of tap changing operations required to regulate the voltage variations due to load variations. However, due to larger and faster voltage fluctuations in distribution networks caused by the increasing share of distributed renewable energy sources, on-load tap changers are required to switch much more often than before. This leads to much higher maintenance requirements and limited lifetime.
The main drawback of mechanical on-load tap changers is unavoidable arcing between the tap contacts and the moving finger contacts when a tap is changed. Purely electronic on-load tap changers on the other hand do not have any moving finger contacts. Each tap contact is connected to the load through a solid-state electronic switch. The tap position is selected by switching on the corresponding electronic switch (i.e. conducting), while all other switches are switched off (i.e. not conducting). Changing from one tap position to the other is carried out by commutating the current from one electronic switch to the next. The current commutation and tap change is therefore achieved without arcing due to the typically very fast switching capabilities of solid-state switches. Although electronic on-load tap changers are highly flexible and can operate arc-free and would therefore substantially reduce maintenance requirements as compared to mechanical on-load tap changers, they also have certain disadvantages. The main disadvantage is the cost of electronic switches, also because an electronic switch is required for each tap position, which further increases the cost when large number of taps is needed. The second disadvantage is the higher losses of electronic switches compared to mechanical contacts.
Therefore, there still exists a need for an economically more viable as well as technically reliable and efficient alternative solutions for on-load tap changers.